DANA BEYERLE: Little time left for reviewing Siegelman case

Davis looks statewide

Published: Sunday, November 18, 2007 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 11:00 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Artur Davis looks at the House Judiciary Committee on which he serves and says he cannot predict whether inquiries into the Alabama prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman are over.

Siegelman and his sympathizers claim that selective prosecution by the Republican-led Justice Department produced a conviction on numerous criminal charges. Government lawyers deny it.

A Rainsville lawyer, Jill Simpson, told committee investigators she believes such a conspiracy was hatched in 2002 but she was not called to testify before the open committee. Davis says the White House isn't cooperating on a document request by the committee but he isn't sure the committee will ask House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to approve contempt citations for not complying.

"The committee chairman has to make that determination," Davis said. "Given the White House's refusal to cooperate, it may be that Congress has done all it can do without the chairman willing to spend more time."

Davis said it's Congress's role to oversee the other branches of government and that's what the probe is all about. "What I said is we have to have confidence the criminal justice system works on law and facts. If people begin to think it doesn't they won't have confidence and they will think of the Justice Department and the FBI as an opposition research division."

He said if Pelosi brings a contempt citation to the floor he would vote for it but right now that's not the most important issue for Congress that has limited meeting time through the end of the year.

A professor's odyssey

University of Alabama English professor Philip D. Beidler has a new book, an odyssey through the last 35 years since he served as a young Army officer in combat in Vietnam, and a comparison with today's Middle East conflicts.

"American Wars, American Peace: Notes from a Son of the Empire" is a series of essays published by the University of Georgia Press.

Beidler writes and speaks of the United States as an empire much like Rome, but he unabashedly supports the troops in Iraq, saying they're the most disciplined in history - unlike in Vietnam. [Beidler doesn't say the same about the civilian leadership in the Vietnam and Iraq wars.] He said the United States' response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by going into Afghanistan, was correct, but going into Iraq on a false premise was wrong. "Most days when I read the casualty lists, I see my war: A lot of American kids dying out on the [butt] end of nowhere for next to nothing," Beidler writes.

Commissioners meet

The Association of County Commissions of Alabama heads to Auburn Dec. 5-6 for its annual legislative conference. It will be at the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.

Members will discuss and approve their 2008 legislative agenda, establish policies on bills that may be introduced by others, and give delegates time to address other issues, said the association.

Speakers will include state Sen. Wendell Mitchell, D-Luverne, House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, and Secretary of State Beth Chapman. The opening general session is at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 5.

Quote of the week

"I would join with any group and use any legislative method known to human ingenuity in the Alabama House of Representatives to filibuster such moves, if it comes up for a vote in the House," state Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, said of talk of trying to redraw congressional or legislative districts in the upcoming 2008 session.

Congressman Davis has his eye set on statewide office in 2010, after the 2008 congressional elections, the presidential primaries and the general election.

The conventional wisdom has been he'll get a good idea how a black statewide candidate does in Alabama with the finish by Barack Obama in the presidential Democratic primary on Feb. 5. That may be, said Davis, but he's betting that the Democratic primaries might be over by then for all practical purposes.

"It depends on the dynamics of the race," Davis said of Alabama's primary. "If [Hillary] Clinton wins in Iowa and New Hampshire the Democrat race could shut down, unless she stumbles, and there won't be an Alabama race."

What he means is there could be a bandwagon effect for Clinton. Democratic voters would cast ballots for the candidate they believe can win in November and not necessarily their favorite.

Alabama Exposure is compiled by Dana Beyerle in the Montgomery bureau of the New York Times Regional Media Group. Reach him at 334-264-6605 or by e-mail at dtb12345@aol.com.

<p>U.S. Rep. Artur Davis looks at the House Judiciary Committee on which he serves and says he cannot predict whether inquiries into the Alabama prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman are over.</p><p>Siegelman and his sympathizers claim that selective prosecution by the Republican-led Justice Department produced a conviction on numerous criminal charges. Government lawyers deny it.</p><p>A Rainsville lawyer, Jill Simpson, told committee investigators she believes such a conspiracy was hatched in 2002 but she was not called to testify before the open committee. Davis says the White House isn't cooperating on a document request by the committee but he isn't sure the committee will ask House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to approve contempt citations for not complying.</p><p>"The committee chairman has to make that determination," Davis said. "Given the White House's refusal to cooperate, it may be that Congress has done all it can do without the chairman willing to spend more time."</p><p>Davis said it's Congress's role to oversee the other branches of government and that's what the probe is all about. "What I said is we have to have confidence the criminal justice system works on law and facts. If people begin to think it doesn't they won't have confidence and they will think of the Justice Department and the FBI as an opposition research division."</p><p>He said if Pelosi brings a contempt citation to the floor he would vote for it but right now that's not the most important issue for Congress that has limited meeting time through the end of the year.</p><p>A professor's odyssey</p><p>University of Alabama English professor Philip D. Beidler has a new book, an odyssey through the last 35 years since he served as a young Army officer in combat in Vietnam, and a comparison with today's Middle East conflicts.</p><p>"American Wars, American Peace: Notes from a Son of the Empire" is a series of essays published by the University of Georgia Press.</p><p>Beidler writes and speaks of the United States as an empire much like Rome, but he unabashedly supports the troops in Iraq, saying they're the most disciplined in history - unlike in Vietnam. [Beidler doesn't say the same about the civilian leadership in the Vietnam and Iraq wars.] He said the United States' response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by going into Afghanistan, was correct, but going into Iraq on a false premise was wrong. "Most days when I read the casualty lists, I see my war: A lot of American kids dying out on the [butt] end of nowhere for next to nothing," Beidler writes.</p><p><b>Commissioners meet</b></p><p>The Association of County Commissions of Alabama heads to Auburn Dec. 5-6 for its annual legislative conference. It will be at the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.</p><p>Members will discuss and approve their 2008 legislative agenda, establish policies on bills that may be introduced by others, and give delegates time to address other issues, said the association.</p><p>Speakers will include state Sen. Wendell Mitchell, D-Luverne, House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, and Secretary of State Beth Chapman. The opening general session is at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 5.</p><p><b>Quote of the week</b></p><p>"I would join with any group and use any legislative method known to human ingenuity in the Alabama House of Representatives to filibuster such moves, if it comes up for a vote in the House," state Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, said of talk of trying to redraw congressional or legislative districts in the upcoming 2008 session.</p><p>Congressman Davis has his eye set on statewide office in 2010, after the 2008 congressional elections, the presidential primaries and the general election.</p><p>The conventional wisdom has been he'll get a good idea how a black statewide candidate does in Alabama with the finish by Barack Obama in the presidential Democratic primary on Feb. 5. That may be, said Davis, but he's betting that the Democratic primaries might be over by then for all practical purposes.</p><p>"It depends on the dynamics of the race," Davis said of Alabama's primary. "If [Hillary] Clinton wins in Iowa and New Hampshire the Democrat race could shut down, unless she stumbles, and there won't be an Alabama race."</p><p>What he means is there could be a bandwagon effect for Clinton. Democratic voters would cast ballots for the candidate they believe can win in November and not necessarily their favorite.</p><p>Alabama Exposure is compiled by Dana Beyerle in the Montgomery bureau of the New York Times Regional Media Group. Reach him at 334-264-6605 or by e-mail at dtb12345@aol.com.</p>